Chapter Five

Ciaran

Eyes turn to me, signaling to make the call without hesitation. I nod my head. My fingers grip the image that was laid in front of me a little too tightly, but in many ways, I feed off of the anger it ignites in my gut. Anytime I see an image of an innocent life that has been snuffed out, it keeps the fires burning inside of me, only reaffirming that the work is worth it. It’s even worse when the image is of a child.

“I put the face through imaging to see if we get a hit. Erika is going to check with her representative in the Child Abuse Awareness campaign as well,” Silas informs us. I can tell by the stiff tone of his voice, that this one hurts him too.

“I’m assuming he isn’t going to be a hit in our systems, just judging by the location, so also put out the information to our contacts in Central America,” Kai adds.

I just keep nodding along, because what else can I do? These kids are either lured in for the appeal of working for money, or they are forced to be mules by family members who need money. “And we’re sure this is the right group?”

“Reed was able to confirm the mark on this kid’s arm with a group he ran into a few months ago. The location we were given is where the drugs should be located. We can make the bust, inform local law enforcement, and then get the kids out of there,” Silas explains.

I lean back in my seat and drum my fingers on the table. We could leave tonight. Texas is a longer flight, and I’d like to drive the rest of the way by morning. It’s been two weeks since we got back from our failed mission, and while tensions have been strained, we’ve also learned from this incident . More importantly, we are not giving up. Reed’s current side project is helping find the ritual killers. Even though Rogue is in a good spot to go, I did have a few houses lined up to look at this weekend, and Saylor wanted a date night. She’s been overly preoccupied with worrying about her sister one second, then also defending her sister against their mom the next. Saylor is confused, I’m sure as hell confused, and I know she just wants a night to unload. No matter how many times I tell her Mila is fine, and she shouldn’t worry, it doesn’t seem to matter.

“Let’s get wheels up tonight. Can we be ready by 20:00 hours?” I glance at Kai.

“I see no reason we can’t be. I’ll notify air traffic control, and we can leave then,” he answers.

We all stand up to head out, and I take my time, making sure to grab the folder of houses. Asking Saylor to look at them while I’m gone feels like a fight waiting to happen, but maybe it will get her interested if she has to go do it.

I try calling her cell phone, but it goes right to voicemail. I drive my truck through town, and over to where her work is, noticing right away her car isn’t in the parking lot. I try calling one more time, but it goes to voicemail again. Her phone has to be off. Pushing down the panic that is rising in my chest, I gun it down a little harder than necessary to get to her mom’s place.

No matter how much time passes, I will always worry about Saylor and her safety. I almost lost her a few years ago. Even though her step-father is dead, many people still remember what he did. I will never forget the way she looked when Matt first brought her here, or the sound of the night terrors that used to keep her tossing and turning. Even these days, without the constant threat looming over us, I know she still remembers as well. I know I can’t be with her every day, all the time. We both have work and responsibilities now, but at times like this, when I can’t find her, the old fear creeps back. I need to see her to know she is okay.

When I get to the house, Saylor’s vehicle is not here either. Grabbing my phone, I race up to the door and let myself in, like always. Mila is sitting in the living room, and her brow lifts when she sees the look on my face.

“You okay?”

“Have you seen your sister? She should be home by now, and her phone is off,” I ask, trying to keep panic out of my voice.

“Mmm, She texted me earlier that she might be late for dinner,” Mila looks at her phone, “And that was an hour ago.”

“Why would she turn off her phone then?” I feel the tension ripple across my body. Why does it feel like she’s hiding something?

Mila’s shoulders shrug, “Can’t you track her on that little chip Reed gave her?”

I nod, “I don’t want to activate it if I don’t have to. It’s a last resort type thing–”

My sentence gets cut off when tires on the pavement can be heard from the open screen door. I stalk over, and sure enough, Saylor is getting out of her parked vehicle. I let out a breath of frustration, and relief, at the same time. I can’t even imagine what I would do if she hadn’t returned. I watch from the doorway as she walks up the path to the front door. She has her phone out, and she hasn’t seen me yet.

“Shit! You scared me. Why are you standing guard at the door?” Her voice is strong and she doesn’t appear hurt.

“I tried calling you, but your phone was off. Then I went past your work,” I tell her. Internally cringing at how creepy that sounds, then dismissing it instantly because we’re Rogue, and knowing where she is at all times make me feel sane. Saylor’s whole family used to be targets, and in my mind she will always be one, whether we work together or not. I will always want to protect her. She is the most important person in my life and to some that might also make her my weakness.

“I just took a longer route home.” She shakes her head, smiling as she steps in front of me, “I needed a mental break for a second.”

My eyes dance over her brown ones, and I can see the small tension crease on her forehead. My fingers come up to her face, cradling it, and smoothing the skin on her forehead. “I was worried.”

“I’m good,” She tells me, giving me another small smile, but I can feel the weight of her words. It’s then I remember Mila is home, and she probably can’t tell me much right now. Instead, I take her hand and lead her to the stairs.

“We just need a minute,” I call to Mila, who I can hear pretending to gag.

“Turn some music on please!”

Saylor and I laugh, but I keep moving us. I need my girl alone for a minute. She ushers me inside her room and closes the door. “What’s going on?”

I sit on her bed and pull her into my lap, my arms wrapping around her waist while I breathe in her scent and feel her body against mine. “We have a new assignment. If we leave tonight, we have a better chance of catching up to them.”

“So no date night this weekend?” She turns and looks at me, over her shoulder.

I shake my head, “I’m sorry. I know you wanted to talk about Mila and your mom.”

Saylor shrugs, “It’s okay. The problem won’t go away over this weekend anyway. How long will you be gone?”

“Depends how far we get. This is a pretty new case, and we have zero information yet,” I explain, and lay my head against her. I often wonder if these are the types of instances that drive wedges between relationships in Rogue. It is always the unknown. No matter how many plans we make, or things we think we have time for, it can all change with one phone call.

Saylor turns in my arms, and wraps her arms around my neck, hugging me, “I’ll miss you.”

My chest squeezes and I hold her tighter. I may have saved the planet in another life to have this girl right now. With just three simple words, Saylor has shown again how perfect she is for me. I’m not worried about leaving her, and I will get back as soon as I can, that’s for damn sure.

“Can you grab me those bags,” I point toward the shelf over Kai’s shoulder.

He nods and grabs the bags, handing them to me. We arrived in Texas early this morning before being picked up by the closest Rogue team, and then drove the rest of the way to the border.

“Reed’s latest information said that they would be traveling this direction,” Silas keeps us informed while we set up camp in a broken down, rusty trailer in the middle of nowhere. The perfect cover, while other team members are stationed along the bluffs of the area.

“They won’t move until it’s dark out,” Kai sets up a camera, while I put together our rifles, and try not to look at my phone.

Before I left Saylor’s house last night, I gave her the folder with all the house information in it, and asked her to meet with Kimberly this weekend for me. She took the folder, and didn’t outright tell me no, so I’m hoping it is a good sign. I’m waiting for Kimberly to confirm they are out looking.

“What are you so excited about, that you keep checking your phone?” Kai asks. Of course, nothing slips past him.

“Saylor is looking at houses for us today,” I answer, before checking the scopes.

Silas sighs, “Ci, relax man. Everything will work out with the house. Things have been stressful lately with the family.”

I glance at my best friend. The one guy who rarely talks, or gives his opinion, suddenly speaks up, “I know everyone is bent out of shape about Mila, but I trust things are fine.”

“It’s not just about Mila. I mean, it is, but it’s causing a divide in the family. Kelly is convinced something is wrong, and I agree. Mila seems off, even for her. And I don’t know, something about the way she looks is different too,” Silas runs his hands over his face.

“You think Saylor and Jason disagree?” I question, thinking over my previous conversations with Say. She never seems as worried as her mom is feeling.

“Yeah. They don’t see it. My dad swears he and Matt have talked to Reed, and he hasn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. Kelly got mad at my dad for looking into Mila’s private files, and then Saylor got mad at her mom for putting us all in the middle of the situation. It’s fucked,” Silas explains. Fuck, that’s a lot of family drama.

“And you’re planning to marry into the fam,” Kai reads my face, “You better pick a side.”

I grunt, “Can’t I remain neutral?”

“That’s what I tried to do, but Kelly made some valid points. She knows Mila the best, and she said she has the same feeling as the day Mila was shot and taken,” Silas’ voice gets lower, and I can tell he’s remembering that day as well. Rogue received the images and video of the aftermath, and I’ll never forget the terror on Saylor’s face, and the heartbreak of thinking her sister wouldn’t live. My jaw clenches because even though I’m aware of the situation, there are clearly more things going on that I don’t know about. Things I probably would have been told before this assignment came up. I grab my phone and quickly send her a message.

Ciaran: When I get back let’s take the weekend to go somewhere, just you and me.

The three little dots dance around, and stop, before starting again.

Saylor: Are you sure? It’s been busy lately for you. If we can get away, I need it!

I reply that it’s a plan, and wish her luck on house hunting. She doesn’t reply to that, but I’m soon distracted by the sound of a revving engine outside. I meet Kai’s gaze, then Silas’s. As quietly as I can, I reach for the earpiece laying on the counter, and put it in, before flipping the on button. “Zulu, what’s your status?”

Silence follows, and I check my mic, listening to the chirping in my ear letting me know things are working on my end. Icy tendrils of dread start to wrap inside my veins. “Zulu.”

The engine is growing louder, and heading in our direction. Kai lifts his scope and pushes it out the window.

“It’s an old model Ford truck.”

Silas manages to get up on the top bunk, where the rear window is, without jostling the camper, or making a sound. He flips his night vision on and peers through the blinds. I see his hand flying over the paper before handing me the license plate. I quickly text it to Rogue and wait for confirmation.

“He stopped,” Kai breathes out, and we all keep quiet. My heart races and adrenaline fuels my veins.

“He’s taking a piss,” Silas reports, and I feel my lips twitch.

This could either just be a drunk joyrider, or this could be the scout. If they had felt like someone was on to them, they’d send a scout out first to see what happens. I shake my head no, and keep my lips pressed together, unwilling to give up our location.

Within minutes, the engine revs again, and tires peel on by. Once the sound fades away I exhale, my head dropping back against the wall.

“The fuck was that?” Kai asks, his face contemplative. I shrug, my own theories still building.

My mic crackles, “more are coming.”

I’m about to respond to the Zulu team, but freeze when I hear it too. Loud like thunder, the engines of motorcycles roll towards us. Silas hunkers down so his form can’t be seen when their headlights hit the abandoned trailer. I fall to my belly on the floor, and Kai manages to cover his iPad with his body under the table.

I lose count after twenty bikes pass us by. Each kick of their throttles rattles in my bones, and fuels the urge to go after them. We’d be outnumbered. Zulu team is too far away to reach us. Just thinking about this chance passing us by has my teeth grinding together. We need to go after them now, or we may lose this lead to finding the innocents being used as drug mules.

The last bike passes, and I hear Zulu read all clear in my ear piece, before I’m pushing myself off the floor and flinging the door open. I take off on foot, running the same path as the tire tracks. I can hear feet pounding against the dirt and brush behind me, but I keep going. I push my limits until the air in my lungs burns, and my arms feel heavy. Sweat drips down my temples, and the earpiece I’m wearing no longer buzzes with connection.

“Oh shit,” I hear Kai huff next to me. A grouping of mobile homes comes into view and I can hear a road with traffic nearby.

“What town is this?”

“We’re right on the fucking border,” Silas hisses from next to me, and I glance at him.

“Are you scared?”

“I’m just saying if we go a few yards that way we’re in a different country. We should not commit any murders in that direction,” he nods his head in the designated area.

“Now what?” Kai huffs, his breathing sounds labored.

“Are you winded?”

“Fuck you,” he rasps before bending at the waist.

“They’re going to be held in one of these trailers. If we spread out, we can check each one. I hear music coming from over there, and there is a road nearby. Chances are that’s where the bikers are,” my mind rattles off the only plan I managed to form in the run here. I shift my pack, and put my extra magazines within easy reach.

“What are we going to do with them?” Kai asks, and I hate his realistic planning right now.

“Lead them back this way. We passed a cavern on the way. We stash them there and wait for Zulu to get in,” I shrug.

“Makes perfect sense,” Silas responds. I can hear his sarcasm, but he’s pulling the straps on his vest tighter, and checking the chamber on his rifle, so I guess we’re doing this.

We head down the hill and separate between the different rows. The first door I try opens easily, no locks. After a quick sweep, I keep going. Any door not locked isn’t stopping someone, or protecting anything. The next three doors I try are all the same. I can feel my phone vibrating silently against my chest, and I guess it’s probably Reed. He must be tracking us. He’s called twice, and usually it means we’re still safe. If he calls again then we’re running out of time.

My hand reaches the fourth door, and the knob won’t turn. I reach in my pack and grab the crowbar, and wedge it between the door and the frame. My arms are on fire, and I have to use my body weight to shove and push until the door pops open. There’s a muffled gasp in the darkness then my flashlight hits them. Huddled against the other end of the trailer are two men, six women, and a child.

I motion for them to follow me. I see the initial hesitation, followed by the usual haunting look. They don’t know if they can trust me, but anything is better than where they are. I check our surroundings, and hustle back through the homes, and up the hill. The group follows me closely. Kai returns a few seconds behind me, a mother and her children in tow. The look on Kai’s face lets me know he’s just as sick about seeing them as I am.

“Silas?” I sign to him and he signs back

“Drugs.”

The small group with us starts to get antsy, and I figure we only have a few extra minutes before they start to lose trust in their decision. Right as I take the step to head back, Silas’ head bobs, and I see him coming up the hill. He motions for us to move.

We keep a steady pace as we take the group back with us. Silas checks behind us and Kai moves to the front to scout. We make it all the way to the bluffs, and I finally have a connection to Zulu.

“Bring a rig to the spot.”

“Copy that.”

I make everyone hide in the bluffs before climbing up so I can see out over the vast lands. The air is sticky, but the breeze is cool, causing shivers to skate over my skin, drying the sweat. Within ten minutes, our rig pulls up. We load everyone in and Silas then makes the call to law enforcement, giving them an anonymous tip about the drugs.

“Think they’ll do anything?”

Silas shakes his head, “they aren’t making it here. It’s a few pounds of cocaine, but not the size our intel indicates. They’re making it somewhere else.”

We fall into silence. The night’s events are catching up to us. Anytime we don’t have a loss of life is a win for us. However, our intel had pointed to a higher number of people, children in particular held hostage here. They were spooked somehow, or they’re just being extra cautious. Neither option feels good to me. The job feels incomplete, and I can’t stop the nagging feeling I have. Something isn’t right.